U.S. patent number 5,465,970 [Application Number 08/336,660] was granted by the patent office on 1995-11-14 for metal wood golf club head.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Adams Golf, Inc.. Invention is credited to Byron H. Adams, Chia W. Lee.
United States Patent |
5,465,970 |
Adams , et al. |
November 14, 1995 |
Metal wood golf club head
Abstract
A metal wood golf club head having an upright trapezoidal
geometry with an improved weight distribution and aerodynamic
configuration wherein the bottom surface area is significantly
larger than the top surface area of the club head.
Inventors: |
Adams; Byron H. (Dallas,
TX), Lee; Chia W. (Kaohsiung, TW) |
Assignee: |
Adams Golf, Inc. (Richardson,
TX)
|
Family
ID: |
23317097 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/336,660 |
Filed: |
November 4, 1994 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/327;
473/349 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
53/0466 (20130101); A63B 60/00 (20151001); A63B
53/04 (20130101); A63B 53/0462 (20200801); A63B
2225/01 (20130101); A63B 53/0433 (20200801) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
53/04 (20060101); A63B 053/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/167R,167D,167E,167H,167F,169,167A,174,167J,194R,193R,77R,77A
;D21/214-220 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Passaniti; Sebastiano
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Aquilino & Welsh
Claims
We claim:
1. A metal wood golf club head comprising a metal shell having a
hosel, ball striking face, heel, toe, upper surface, bottom
surface, side and rear walls; said club head characterized by an
upright trapezoidal geometry wherein said bottom surface has a
greater area than said top surface and said side and rear walls are
angled upwardly and inwardly from an outer periphery of said bottom
surface to an outer periphery of said top surface.
2. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein said upper surface area is
within a range of 35% to 90% of the bottom surface area.
3. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein said upper surface area is
approximately 60% of the bottom surface area.
4. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein said metal shell includes
a wall forming said ball striking face; said wall being thicker
adjacent the bottom surface of said club head.
5. The golf club head of claim 4 wherein said wall becomes
progressively thinner from the bottom surface of the club head
toward the top surface thereof.
6. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein said metal shell has
approximately the same thickness and weight per given area at said
upper surface and said bottom surface; said club head having a
greater weight distribution at said bottom surface and a lesser
weight distribution at said upper surface.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a metal wood type golf club head
and, in particular, to a metal wood head having an improved
aerodynamic design and weight distribution.
Traditionally, wood and metal wood type golf club heads are formed
with a ball striking face, upper surface, bottom sole, heel and toe
and rear surface areas, wherein the upper surface is tear-drop
shaped and formed in a smooth aerodynamic configuration with gently
rolling surfaces. The upper surface is traditionally larger than
the bottom sole so that the club face configuration is formed
generally in the shape of an inverted trapezoid.
With the advent of modern casting techniques, the size and shape of
these type golf club heads has varied considerably. Many golf club
heads known in the prior art and available in the market place are
provided with aerodynamic surfaces which control the direction and
velocity of air flow across the club head as it is being swung to
increase club head speed by reducing drag. Club heads are also made
in a variety of sizes and configurations in order to redistribute
the weight either upwardly or downwardly or in a heel toe direction
to satisfy the requirement of particular golfers to enable them to
maximize the energy transfer to a golf ball when it is struck.
However, many golf clubs are made with a higher center of gravity
because of the weight distribution of the club head. This higher
center of gravity requires more loft to affect the optimum launch
angle that a golf ball needs to achieve maximum distance. The more
loft that is used, the more spin is put on the ball, resulting in
ineffective ball flight. A golf ball is moved by energy which
translates into spin and velocity. A lower center of gravity needs
less loft (face angle) to achieve optimum launch angle. The
resultant ball flight is affected more by velocity than spin. The
ball travels at a forward angle with more carry and more roll on
the ground. Effective in calm conditions, this is particularly
effective in windy conditions, since the ball is kept lower to the
ground.
The present invention relates to a golf club head having a unique
aerodynamic shape and weight configuration which maximizes energy
transfer for a given effort by a golfer when hitting a golf ball.
With the present invention, the golf club head has an upright
trapezoidal geometry wherein the preponderance of weight is formed
on the bottom of the golf club head, whereby the bottom surface or
sole plate of the club head is significantly larger than the top
surface thereof and the side walls are angled upwardly and inwardly
creating the trapezoidal shape. This configuration creates a lower
center of gravity, which allows an optimum launch angle at a lower
loft without creating too much spin on the ball, thereby negating
the ballooning effect, or too little loft, which results in
insufficient carry of the ball during flight.
The sides of the club head at the heel and toe and rear surface are
angled upwardly and inwardly to provide an aerodynamic
configuration whereby there is less resistance at the top of the
club head because of a smaller upper surface which results in
reduced drag at the rear of the club head when it is being swung.
The club head also includes an inside wall directly behind the ball
striking face which is formed at an angle, the lower portion of the
ball striking face being thicker and tapering to a less thick
configuration toward the upper surface. This also aids in lowering
the center of gravity to launch the ball with maximum velocity and
the correct amount of spin. Additionally, the thickened reinforced
ball striking face minimizes club face deflection when the golf
ball is impacted.
Among the objects of the present invention are a provision of an
improved aerodynamically trapezoidal shaped metal wood type golf
club head with improved weight distribution and having a lower
center of gravity to provide an optimum launch angle and spin rate
to produce maximum carry and roll to a golf ball. Another object of
the present invention is to provide a metal wood type golf club
head having a bottom surface with a larger area than the top
surface of the club head to redistribute the weight of the bottom
of the club head. Still another object of the present invention is
the provision of a metal wood type golf club head with an improved
weighting system to locate the weight of the club head at the
bottom. These and other objects will become apparent with reference
to the following drawings and specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf club in accordance with the
present invention.
FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a golf club head in accordance
with the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of the golf
club of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a golf club head in
accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an end elevational view, partly in section, of a golf
club head in accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed
herein. It should be understood, however, that the disclosed
embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be
embodied in various forms. Therefore, the details disclosed herein
are not to be interpreted as limited, but merely as the basis for
the claims and as a basis for teaching one skilled in the art how
to make and/or use the invention.
Referring to the drawings, golf club 10 of the present invention
includes a golf club head 12, a shaft 14 and a grip 16. The overall
geometry of the club head is defined as an upright trapezoidal
shape with a layer base at the bottom and smaller base at the top.
The golf club head is formed with a metal shell 17 having a heel
18, toe 20, ball striking face 22, upper surface 24 and lower
surface 26. As can be seen best with respect to FIG. 2, the upper
surface 24 and the lower surface 26 are connected by a side wall 28
extending around the club head between the toe 20 and the heel 28
forming a rear surface 30. As seen, the bottom surface 26 area is
larger than the top surface 24 area whereby the side wall 28
extends upwardly and inwardly in a bottom to top direction.
Preferably, the metal shell has approximately the same thickness
and weight per given area at the top surface and the bottom
surface. Therefore, the club head 12 has a greater weight
distribution at the bottom surface 26 because of its greater size
and a lesser weight distribution at the upper surface 24 because of
its lesser size.
The frontal portion of the metallic shell which forms the club head
12 has a wall thickness at the ball striking face 22 which is
thicker toward the bottom 26 of the club head 12 and which tapers
upwardly, becoming gradually thinner as it approaches the top
surface 24 of the club head. The ball striking face dimensions, as
well as the overall configuration of the larger bottom 26 and
smaller top surface 24 distribute a larger portion of the overall
weight of the club head toward the bottom thereof. This has the
effect of lowering the center of gravity, which in turn allows the
club head to have less loft to achieve the optimum launch angle.
Less loft in turn produces less spin, and therefore a ball struck
by the club head is using optimum velocity, creating more distance
from equal to greater carry at a lower angle. This is particularly
effective in windy conditions.
As can be seen from the drawings, the overall surface area of the
top surface 24 is approximately 60% of the total surface area of
the bottom surface 26. However, it will be appreciated that the top
surface may be as little as 35% or as much as 90% of the total area
of the total surface area of the bottom surface 26 in keeping with
the scope and spirit of the present invention.
While various preferred embodiments have been shown and described,
it will be understood that there is no intent to limit the
invention by such disclosure, but rather, is intended to cover all
modifications and alternate constructions falling within the spirit
and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *